The Glossed Over Blog

I spent my past weekend in Chicago with very little planning and a budget that is smaller than my freshman dorm room. However, I was determined to make it a fun, stress free weekend with me and my friends. And I did. Here’s everything I did in Chicago, IL and how I tried my best to save money and enjoy the moment.

Day 1: Arrival, Wicker Park, Movie Night and a Homemade Meal

I am lucky enough to have someone in my immediate family live in Chicago so the first two nights, my friend and I stayed with them. That saved us the hotel expense and we got one wonderful homemade meal out of it. We didn’t arrive until quite late so there wasn’t a whole lot to do but we went to Wicker Park and got ice cream at a place my sister highly recommended.

Day 2: Back to Wicker Park, No Kings March, and Heavily Debating on an Impulsive Tattoo

My friend and I went back to Wicker Park because we didn’t get to do a whole lot of exploring. She and I knew we did not have a lot to spend but window shopping is all part of the fun of a young adult. We ate at CAVA which was absolutely delicious and ran into a pop up art show. We also passed the same tattoo shop a million times and I cannot tell you how badly I wanted to get one but I held back, especially because I knew we had quite a spendy dinner planned.

We had also seen a bunch of people with posters for the No Kings March. Unfortunately we didn’t go to the march but we loved seeing all of the signs and the community the city showed us. We go to a small school in a pretty conservative town in Illinois so to see so many people fight the same cause that we’re so passionate about was incredibly heartwarming.

Day 3: Chinatown and Bracelets Galore

If you know me at all, you know I don’t go anywhere without my bracelets on my wrist. If you hear a ton of bracelets jingling, I’m probably walking into the room. I love buying Asian inspired or Asian created bracelets because they remind me of my hometown and my Hmong community. Of course, they were bought at Chinatown, an incredibly touristy spot but like I said, I go to college in a conservative town so I love when I get to see any Asian culture, especially when I’m homesick. My friend and I got Dim Sum (which is my favorite thing to eat) and walked around for quite a while. 

Day 4: The Bean, an Art Museum, and Having to Go Back to Reality (AKA school)

On our final day, we did the most touristy things because my friend had never been to the Bean before and is an Art major. The Bean was packed as usual and we met the most kind and beautiful woman who offered to take our picture. (I love when people are nice to strangers). And don’t even get me started on the Art Institute of Chicago. We must’ve spent an hour looking at the tiny rooms exhibit. I was so deeply amazed by every sculpture I walked past. Typically, I am not entertained by art museums because my attention span is so low, but I really enjoyed my experience here. 

Here’s my advice to a successful girls trip:

There is this belief that going on a trip with your friends always causes problems in the friendship. I think this will only be the case if you are not considerate of each other. My advice to you is that if you’re on a trip with a friend, listen and talk. If you’re unwilling to do so, I don’t know how to tell you this but maybe that trip you’re talking about in the group chat isn’t such a good idea. The reason for tension after a trip with friends is that you are with each other for a long period of time and if you aren’t talking about your grievances, they’ll build up and up until it falls right over into a full blown argument. 

Be transparent, be honest and you’ll have a good time. For example, my friend and I are two people with very little social batteries. When we were walking around Wicker park, I looked at her two hours in and told her I needed to sit down. I did not want to wander anymore, I was no longer in the mood. She agreed, we sat down, we got some rest, and were up and at it in thirty minutes. If I had never said anything, I’d definitely have such a bad time. Respecting each other’s limits and boundaries are so important, in general, but also when you’re on a trip with another person.

Let me know what some of your favorite places to visit in Chicago are and perhaps I’ll give it a try! 

Peace & Love,

Krys K